Gas-meter.



c. w. & w. H. HINMAN.

GAS METER.

APPLICATION FILED MAI/14,1917.

Panted Dac, 18,191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l' C.- W. & W. H. HINMAN.

GAS METER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY14.|911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 18, 191'?.

C. W. & W. H. HINNIAN.

GAS METER.

APPLICATION FILED- MAY I4. 191?.

Patented Dee. 18.1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

miran s'rn'rns Param ervaren.

CHARLES w. HINMAN AND WALTER HIBBARD HINMAN, on WINCHESTER, MASSA- oHUsETTs. l

GAS-METER.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dem-18, 1917.

Application filed May 14, 1917. Serial No. 168,500.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES W. HIN- MAN and WALTER HIBBARD HINMAN, both citizens of the United States, residing at Winchester, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas- Meters; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact .description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make'and use the same.

The present invention relates to wet gas meters of the class commonly known as station meters. e The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of the type of meter disclosed in Patent No. 1,221,- 179, granted to us April 3, 1917,by rendering the same more efficient in operation, increasing the strength and rigidity of the same, and reducing the cost of manufacture. With these and'other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the present invention con'- sists in the devices and arrangementshereinafterodescribed and more particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings 'which illustrate what is now believed to be the preferred form of the present invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal verticaly section'of our improved meter; Fig. 2 is al sectional end view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an outlet end view of the drum on a somewhat smaller scale; and Fig 4: is a perspective view ofvone of the division walls and the end walls connected therewith. v

.T he improved gas meter illustrated in the drawings comprises the usual stationary casingl, having at one end the axial gas inlet pipe or dry well 2 and the outlet pipe 3 near the periphery. It is provided in its interior with the bearings 4 for the shaft 5 of the revolving measuring drum, the greater portion of which is always submerged beneath thewater which `fills the casingv to a level slightly below the upturned end of the inlet pipe 2 as indicated in Fig. 1. The ends of the casing 1 differ, however, from our prior patent above referred to in that they are frusto-conical as shown at 6, vgiving to the casing a generally octagonal shape in longitudinal cross-section.l A `convenient way of forming the casing is that'shown `in Fig. 1, where the body or cylindrical portion is formed with a iange at each end, to

which flanges are riveted the flanges on the i frusto-conical end members 6.

The revolving measuring drum which is located within the casing is slightly smaller but of the same general shape as the casing, being of general octagonal form in longltudinal crossesection, as shown in Fig. 1, instead of being substantially cylindrical as in our prior patent referred to. This drum comprises a cylindrical shell 7 provided on its interior with division walls to form the measuring compartments and having end walls closing the ends of the drum except for the inlet and outlet ports for the gas. rlhe outer shell, the interior division walls, and the end walls are rigidly supportedvon the shaft 5 by means of a frame-work or bracing, as will hereinafter appear. i

.The division walls, as shown in F ig.` 4, are composed of a plurality of sections, the alternate sections such as 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, being angularly disposed with relation to each other, but with `the middle section l0. co-planar withdthe axis vand the 4other sections 8, 9, 11, and 12 parallel with the axis. Adjacent andbetween these sections are other sections 13, 14,15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 all oblique to the axis ofthe drum and angularlyl arranged with relation to each other. Extending along the innery edge of the sections 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 isa radial portion 21 which is co-planar with section 10 and with the axis of the drum. The inner edge ofthis radial portion 21 never rises above thelevel of the water in the Casing. Its highest position is indicated in Fig. 1 as slightly below the water level. n

rlhe space between'the inner edges of adjacent sections 21 constitutes the port through which the water fiows into and out of the measuring chamber as such -chamber in the rotation of the drum is submerged below thewater level and then lifted above l 'radius as shown in Fig. 2.

portion 28 nearer the axis. Both inlet and outlet end walls are connected to the division walls Aby sections 5l and 32 respectively, which in Fig. 4 are shown as having plane surfaces instead of being curved as -in our prior patent.

rlhe gas inlet ports 33 between .the end walls of adjacent measuring chambers are of greater width at their inner or axial ends than at their outer or peripheral ends, differing in this respect from the inlet ports of our prior patent, which are of substanially uniform width throughout their length. rlh'e 'gas outlet ports 84 are also of greater width in our present meter at their axial ends than at their peripheral ends.

The drum with its division and end walls is supported upon a frame-work carried by a number of hubs secured upon the shaft 5. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, live hubs are employed, two end hubs 35, 35, adjacent the bearings for the shaft, a middle hub 36 substantially midway between the end hubs, and two intermediate hubs 37, 37, one between the middle hub and each end hub. The end and intermediate hubs 35 and l7 are of a shape resembling generally a Greek cross and comprise a cylindrical portion 40 upon the shaft, the spokes 4l radiating therefrom, and the cross-shaped rim 42 carried by the spokes, as shown in Fig. 2. 'Preferably the rim of the hub is slightly unsymmetrically arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, for convenience in attaching the framework and braces as hereinafter described. The middle hub is a plain cylindrical hub having four short arms extending therefrom as shown in Fig. 2, to which arms certain of the braces are riveted.

Each of the hubs carries riveted thereto ffour angle iron arms or supports extending from the hub to the outer shell of the drum. The arms or supports 44, carried by the end yhubs 35 are arranged at a slight angle to a Their outer ends are bent toward the middle of the drum as shown in Fig. 1, the arms at the voutlet end having a sharper bend at a point nearer the hub than the arms at the inlet end. The arms 46 from the intermediate 4hubs 37 are also at a slight angle to the radius, but instead of being bentat some point between their inner and outer ends are obliquely attached to the hubs as shown at Fig. l. lBoth arms 44 and 46 are further -supported intermediate their ends by the angle iron braces 48 carried by the hubs 35 vand v57 as shown in Fig. 2. The arms 50 "from the middle hub are radially disposed as shown in Fig. 2 and are slightly oblique to a plane perpendicular to the axis as shownin Fig. l. These arms 50iare further supported by the diagonal braces 52 extending from the tangential faces of the intermediate hubs 37, 37, to fthe arms 50 about midway between the inner and outer ends thereof.

The outer ends of all five sets of arms are secured to the shell of the drum and to rings or bands 54 extending around the outer sur face thereof. Different portions or sections of the division walls are attached directly to these different arms. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the v:middle section l0 and inner radial portion 21 are attached to the middle arm 5() and diagonal braces v52. The portion 9 is attached to the arm 46 nearer the inlet, while the corresponding portion 11 is attached to the arm 46 nearer the outlet end of the drum.

From the foregoing description it will be evident to those skilled in the art that by forming the ends of the drum of `frustoconical shape the effective Ilength ofthe gasmeasuring chamber will be reduced without reducing the length of the port through which the water passes into and out -of the chamber as the drum rotates. As a result the ratio of water-port to capacity o'f the gas-chamber is increased and the filling and emptying of said gas-measuring chamber is accomplished Vin a shorter time and with the expenditure of less energy. The formation of the inlet and outlet gas ports with -a greater width at their axial ends than at their peripheral ends also facilitates the fil-ling Vand emptying of the `measuring chamber. lFurthermore, owing to the frustoconical shape ofthe ends of the drum the surface area ofthe drum .in contact with the water in the casing is reduced, diminishing correspondingly the skin friction or resistance offered by the water to the .turning of the drum. As a result of these several'features of construction the speed of rotation vof the measuring drum is very substantially increased and to such an extent that a much greater volume of gas canbe passed through and measured in a meter constructed .in1accordance `with the present invention than in one having the same axial'length and diameter but having square ends instead of frusto-conical, and this notwithstanding the greater capacity per revolution of the meter with squarefends.

Furthermore, la meter constructed inaccordance with the kpresent invention is of greater strength and rigidity, a feature of great importance with meters of this V'class which vmay have'a diameter kof sixteen k'feet familiar with this class of apparatus.

While'in the preferred yembodimentofthe present invention "illustrated vin the :drawings, vour improvedrmeter drum Iis shown vwith :both inlet land outlet ends .of frustoi.

conical shape, it is to be understood that the present invention is not necessarily llmiterl to such a construction except Where so specifically stated in the claims, as some of the advantages of our present invention will be secured, although perhaps to a lesser degree, by having one end only of frustoconical form, or by adopting a shape other than that of the surface of the frustum of a cone, one of the principal features of our invention being the formation of a measuring chamber of less effective axial length than the Water-port in order to facilitate the filling and emptying of said chamber as the measuring drum is rotated.

I-Iaving thus described the present invention, what is claimed is l. In a gas meter, the combination With a stationary casing, of a drum mounted to revolve therein comprising an outer shell having internal division Walls to form measuring chambers, said chambers being of greater axial length nearer the axis than adjacent the outer shell, and means for rotatably supporting the drum in the casing.

2. In a gas meter, the combination With a stationary casing, of a drum mounted to revolve therein comprising an outer shell having internal division Walls to form measuring chambers and end Walls for the same, the outer portions of the end Walls of each chamber at one end of the drum being located nearer the opposite end of the drum than are the inner portions of such end Walls, and means for rotatably supporting the drum in the casing.

3. In a gas meter, the combination With a stationary casing, of a drum mounted to revolve therein comprising a cylindrical shell provided With internal division Walls forming measuring chambers and With end Walls for the same, the end Walls of each chamber converging outwardly from the axis of the drum, and means for rotatably supporting the drum in the casing.

4. In a gas meter, the combination With a stationary casing, of a drum mounted to revolve therein comprising an outer shell having a body portion and convex ends, and provided with internal division Walls forming measuring chambers, and means for ro,- tatably supporting the drum in the casing.

5. In a gasmeter, the combination With a stationary casing comprising a substantially cylindrical body portion and frustoconical ends, of a drum mounted to revolve therein, said drum comprising an outer shell having a substantially cylindrical body portion, and frusto-conical ends, and provided With internal division Walls forming measuring chambers, and means for rotatably mounting the drum in the casing.

6. In a gas meter, the combination with a stationarycasing, of a drum comprising an outer shell having internal division Walls forming measuring chambers and end Walls for the same, the end walls of adjacent chambers being spaced apart to form ports, the ports at one end of the drum being of greater Width at their inner or axial ends than at their outer ends, and means for rotatably supporting the drum in the casing.

7. In a gas meter, the combination With a stationary casing, of a drum mounted to revolve therein comprising an outer shell provided With internal division Walls to form measuring chambers and with end walls for the same, said chambers being of greater axial length nearer the axis than adjacent the outer shell, and the end Walls of adjacent chambers being spaced apart to form ports, the ports at one end of the drum being of greater Width at their inner or axial ends than at their outer ends, and means for rotatably supporting the drum in the casing.

8. In a gas meter, the combination With a stationary casing of a drum mounted to revolve therein comprising a cylindrical shell provided With internal division Walls forming measuring chambers and With end Walls for the same, the axial portion ofthe end Walls of the chambers at one end of the drum projectino` axially beyond the peripheral portions of said end Walls, and means for rotatably supporting the drum in the casing.

CHARLES W. I-IINMAN. WALTER HIBBARD HINMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. c. 

